Six dissidents jailed for bombing offences secure release from prison

Six individuals convicted of bombing offences in England during the late 1990s and early 2000s have been released from Portlaoise Prison following High Court challenges to their detention. The men, who were transferred to Ireland to serve the remainder of their sentences, argued their continued imprisonment was unlawful due to fundamental differences between English and Irish sentencing systems. Mr Justice Gerard Hogan declared their detention unconstitutional and ordered their immediate release in test cases concerning two applicants. The remaining four men were subsequently released when the matter returned before the court. The State did not contest the applications. The releases follow a recent Supreme Court judgment in a related case that highlighted incompatibilities between sentencing regimes. Further High Court inquiries involving three additional individuals raising similar arguments were scheduled to proceed.